Less Than 20 Civil Cases Pending Against Pilot

An attorney for Knoxville-based truck stop chain Flying Pilot J said today that fewer than 20 companies have filed lawsuits against the company, despite nearly 60 refusing Pilot’s settlement offer. At a hearing before Knox County Circuit Judge Harold Wimberly, Pilot attorney Al Harb distributed a list showing nine of the cases were pending in state courts, including actions in Texas and Louisiana, while seven were filed in federal courts. Harb says he expects the company will seek to consolidate the federal cases for pre-trial proceedings likely during a hearing on Jan. 30 when the federal Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is slated to meet in New Orleans. Knoxnews has more.